Refrigerator car floor rack



Jan- 30, 1940? c. D. BONSALI.

REFRIGERATUR CAR IFLOOR RACK Filed Deo. 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheel l Jan. 30, 1940. c, D. BoNsALL 2,188,851

REFRIGERATOR CAR FLOOR RACK Filed Deo. 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 30, 1940 PATENT y OFFICE REFRIGERATOR CAR l1-`Loo1t1tAoK l CharlespDavid Bonsall, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner i to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Y Company, Chicago, 111.,"l a corporation ofDela- ,l

` Ware vApplication December 20, 1937, SerialNo.v 180,705

.5 Claims.

The invention relates to insulated refrigerator cars used to transport perishable commodities, such as vegetables, fruits, berries, meats, eggs, frozen sh, etc., and to maintain such cornmodities while in transit within a predetermined range of temperature, thus necessitating the use 4of a cooling-means in the summer and a heating means in the winter. -It' has been yfound that perishable Acommodities which have not been allowed to get too cold (freeze) or too hot (bake) have a high market value because they have a longer storage life.

The object of the invention to provide a floor rack comprising `a metallic plate shaped to forma plurality of beam structures (with air channels therebetween) which are supported in spaced relation to the insulated iioor of the car by insulating members and a foraminous metallic sheet secured to such beam structures for supporting a ladingthereupon.

The object. of the invention is to provide a floor rack for a refrigerator car which is very strong to support vertical loads and, has great strength in a horizontal direction (to resist the tendency of a shifting load to move the iioor rack sidewise) without materially retarding the flow of air below the floor rack or materially reducing the amount of air flow through the floor rack.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 show the corelation of my device to the other elements of a refrigerator car.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of my improved floor rack.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section of a part of floor rack.

Fig. 5 shows a detail of construction.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of part of my floor rack.

In the form of my invention' illustrated the refrigerator car is provided with a bulkhead 2` separating the refrigerant chamber 3 from the lading compartment 4. The bulkhead 2 is provided with an aperture 5 adjacent the floor 6 of the car and an aperture 'I adjacent the ceiling 8 of the car with a solid wall 9 therebetween.

the lading so as to provide the space or iiue which communicates with the flues I6-I1. A refrigerant, such as ice, in the refrigerant chamber induces a convection circulation of air from the iiues II--I'I through the flue space 20 under the iioor rack which rests upon the floor 6. The air permeates upwardly through the rack, which Iis foramnous, and as it is warmed by the 'lading, it rises and passes through the bulkhead upper opening l, and thence through the. fiues I6-|1, and being cooled by the refrigerant, repeats the convection cycle.

My improved floor rack comprises a metallic plate formedwith upper portions 32 and lower portions 34 in. spaced apart substantially 1 parallel planes preferably connected by perfoin the direction of the movementof the air current. Such a construction provides a Verystrong floor rack to support the lading and the impact thereof as well as to resist the tendency ofA the load to shift in various directions in a horizontal plane. Y

In the form of invention shown the foraminous floor comprises a metallic sheet 38 resting upon and secured to the upper portions 32 of the metallic plate, which sheet is formed with .a plurality'of upwardly projecting panels 48 extending between the adjacent upper portions 32 to provide reinforcing beams therebetween. The panels are provided with apertures for air circulation therethrough, which apertures 58 are provided with a peripherical depending stiftening flange 52. The upper surface of the panels 48 are preferably ush with or above the heads of the rivets 40 which secure the metallic sheet 28 to the metallic plate 30 so as to provide an even surface for the lading in the car'.

The modern floor rack is hinged (54) to a Vertical wall 56 of the car so it may be raised to .a substantially vertical position to clean the insulated iioor of the car, therefore, I preferablyprovide a rod 58 extending through and secured to a plurality of webs 36 to strengthen the rack while it is being raised or lowered (seeFig. 5).

I preferably provide insulating members 60 secured (62) to the lower portions 34 of the metallic plate and supporting such lower portions yupon the floor 6 of the car and spaced therefrom. In the drawings I have shown a plurality of spaced apart wooden insulating blocks .60

staggered and secured to leach lower portion of l the metallic plate. Such insulating blocks retard heat transfer through the floor rack and also provide means of adjustability for the height of the ioor rack. They' have the further advantage that they will not wear into the asphalt composition (which usually covers an insulated' iioor of a refrigerator car) as rapidly as the metallic plate.

It will be noted that the circulating air may move freely around and between the insulating blocks and also pass freely through the various webs and apertures in the metallic sheet.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifica.- tions thereof, w'ithin the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. In a refrigerator car having a oor, a rack for supporting a lading in spaced relation to said floor to provide a flue therebetween and means to induce an air current in said iiue, said rack comprising a metallic plate formed with upper portions and lower portions in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by periorated webs to provide ues below the upper portions and above the lower portions extending in the direction of the movement of said air current, and a foraminous floor extending between said upper portions and secured thereto.

2. In a refrigerator car having a floor, a rack for supporting a lading in spaced relation to said :door to provide a flue therebetween and means to induce an air current in said flue, said rack fi) tions and above the lower portions extending in the direction of the movement of said air current, a foraminous floor extending'between said upper portions and secured thereto, and insulat-` ing members secured to the'lower portionsof the metallic plate and supporting said lower portions upon the floor of the car.

3. In a refrigerator car having a oor, a rack for supporting a lading in spaced relation to saidoor to provide a ue. therelcetween'y and means to induce an air current Vin said flue,l said rack ycomprising a metallic pate formed with upper portions and lower portions inzspaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by perforated e webs to provide flues below the upper portions and above the lower portions extending in the di- .rection of the movement of said air current, and a metallic sheet resting upon and secured to said upper portions, said sheet being formed with a plurality of upwardly projecting panels extending between and terminating at adjacent upper l portions which are provided with apertures for air circulation therethrough. 1

4. Ina refrigerator car having a-floor, l,a rack forV supporting a'lading. in spaced relation .to

said floor to provide a iiue` therebetween and y means to inducean air current .in said nue, said rack comprising a'metallic plateormed ywith upper portions and lower portions innspaced per portions and abovethe lower portions extendsaid upper portions and-,securedl thereto, and a pluralityof spaced apart woodeninsulating blocks secured to eachr lower portion of the metallic ,l

plate.

5. A structure as dened in claim 1 including a rod spaced belowgsaidforaminous loor, Said rod extending thrpughandsecured to a plurality of said webs for thepurposes specified.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL.

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